Coal-tipple.



No- 827,560. PATENTBD JULY 31, 1906.

J. S. PATHS.

GOAL TIPPLE.

ABPLICATION FILED Emma. 1906.

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No. 827.560. PATENTED JULY 31, 1906.

J. S. PATBS.

GOAL 'TIPPLE.

APPLICATION FILED r23. 16. 1906.

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PATENTED JULY 31 J. S. PATBS. GOAL TIPPLE.

' APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 10, 1906.

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MAW (guaruz uonms PETERS 00., wnsmlvaroli, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrion.

JAMES S. PATES, OF MONONGAHELA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT ANDMESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO WILLIAM W. KEEFER, JAMES S. PATES, AND SAMUEL A.SCOTT, OF PI'IISBURG, PENN- SYLVANIA, A GOPARTNERS-HIP.

COAL-TIPPLE.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 31', 1906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES S. PATEs, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Monongahela, in the county of Washing ton and Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCoal-Tipples, of which the following is a speci fication, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawings. v

- This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements incoal-tipples and the invention relates more particularly to an overheadtipple constructed'above a railroad or river for discharging coal orlike fuel from mining-cars into railroad-cars or river craft.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of positive andreliable means for effecting the discharge of coal from a miningcar in amanner to prevent too large a body of coal going on the screen at onetime, and thereby preventing the coal from being properly screened.

My lnventlon aims to provide a novel form of tilting platform upon whichcars are moved and tilted to discharge their contents.

In connection with .a tilting'platform I have devised novel means forcreating a spasmodic or jerkymovement of the platform when being tilted,whereby the entire contents of a car will be discharged. 3 In connectionwith the tilting platform I have also devised positive means .for easilyand quickly returning the tilting platform, together with the car uponthe. same, to its normal position, the operation of tilting the platformand returning it to its normal position being controlled and managed byan attendant of a tipple. To this end I have provided a novel form ofsafety-stop or buffer adapted to be actuated in conjunction With thetilting platform to prevent cars from passing onto the platform orstriking the same when the platform is being tilted.

With the above and other objects in view, which Will more readily appearas the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consistsin the novel construction,com bination, and arrangement of parts to behereinafter more fully described and claimed, and, referring to thedrawings accompanying this application, like numerals of referencedesignate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in whichFigure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a coal-tipple constructed inaccordance with my invention, illustrating a car upon the tiltingplatform thereof and showing said car,

together with the platform and a part of its mechanism, in adjustedposition indotted lines. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of a tripleor three-way valve used in connection with my device. Fig. 3 is afragmentary perspective view of a tripping and lockingv fork used inconnection with the tipple.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the coal-.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the reciprocating slide, andFig. 9 is a detail view of the safety-stop or buffer used in connectionwith the coal-tipple. Fig. 9' is a vertical transverse sectional viewtaken through the righthand end of Fig. 1, substantially at the pointwhere the oscillatory j arring-fork is hung. Fig. 10 is a fragmentarylongitudinal sectional view of the tilting platform, showing thereciprocating slide and a part of the oscillatory jarring-fork.

In the accompanying draiwin s I have illustrated a conventional form ofl ramework such as is generally used in connection with coal-tipples,the framework embodying a plurality of standards 1 1 and 2 2, saidstandardsbeing arranged in two rows in parallel alinement with oneanother. The upper end of the standards are provided with brackets 3 andsupport channel-bars 4 and 5. The channel bars are arrangedlongitudinally upon the upper ends of the standards 1 and 2 and supporttransverse braces 6, some of which are extended, as at 7, to support aplatform 8, having a guard-railing 9 upon its outer side. Upon the endsof the transverse braces 6. are supported longitudinally-disposed slatsor plates 1 0 10, while adjacent to roo the platform 8 is arranged aplatform 1 1, and upon the top of this platform and the transversebraces 6 is constructed a track 12.

My invention resides in mounting a tilting platform 14 adjacent to theplatform 11 and etween the transverse braces 6. The tilting platform isprovided with depending brackets 15 15, which receive and work on a rod16, mounted between the channel-bars 4 and 5. Upon the tilting platform14 are mounted rails or a section of track 17, adapted to aline with therails of the track 12. The tilting platform 14 is provided with anoutwardlyextending bifurcated tongue or arm 18, carrying transverse pins19 and 20. 'Upon the pin 19 of the tongue 18 of the tilting platform 14is mounted a depending tripping and locking fork 21, said forkconsisting of two prongs 22 and 23, having teeth 24 and 25,respectively, the teeth 24 of the prong 22 being staggered relatively tothe teeth 25 of the pron 23.

The platform 11 is cut away to accommodate the tongue 18 of the tiltingplatform 14, and the platform 1 1 upon each side of the depending fork21 is provided with brackets or guide-plates 26 26, and in said bracketsor guide-plates is mounted a reciprocating slide 27, said slide havingan oblong openin or slot 28, through which the depending for z 21extends. The forward end of the platform 1 1 is provided with dependingbrackets 29 29,

.and mounted in said brackets is a rock-shaft 30,flcarrying anupwardly-extending arm 31, which extends into an opening 32, formed inthe end of the reciprocating slide 27. The one end of the rock-shaft 30extends outwardly to one side of the tippleand is provided with arocking arm 33, the ends of said arm being connected by cables 34 and 35to an operating-lever 36, said lever being fulcrumed, as at 37, upon theend of one of the transverse braces 6 and protruding upwardly alongsideof the guard-railing 9, whereby the attendant of the tipple can easilymanipulate the operating-lever 36 to reciprocate the slide 27 Beneaththe arm 18 of the tilting platform is journaled a shaft 38, said shaftbeing j ournaled in brackets 39 39, carried by the standards 1 and 2 ofthe coal-tipple. Upon the shaft 38 is mounted a flanged pulley 40, theobject of which Will presently appear.

Between the standards 1 and 2, beneath the flanged pulley 40, arearranged transverse braces 41 41, supporting a vertically-disposedcylinder 42. In the cylinder 42 is mounted a conventional form ofpiston-head 43, the rod 44 of which extends out of the upper end of thecylinder 42. Connected to the upper end of the rod 44 is a cable 45,said cable passing upwardly around the flanged pulley and has its looseend provided with a weight 46, whereby the piston-head 43 will benormally held in the upper end of the cylinder, except when the same isbeing operated, as will be presently described. Attached also to theupper end of the piston-rod 44 is a chain or cable 47, which has itsupper end attached to the pin 20 of the arm 18 of the tilting platform.

Attached to the ends of the transverse braces 6, which support theplatform 8, is a conventional form of triple or three-way valve 48,having a pipe 49 leading to the upper end of the cylinder 42. Anotherpipe 50 connects with the pipe 49 adjacent to the cylinder, also withthe valve 48. The valve is supplied with air by a pipe 51 from asuitable compressor or air-pump, (not shown,) and the valve is alsoprovided with an exhaustpipe 52. The valve-plug 53 of the valve 48 isrotated by a lever 54, which extends up along the guard-railing 9, whereit can be conveniently operated by the attendant of the coal-tipple. Theperiphery of the valve-plug 53 is provided with two ports 55 and 56,these ports being adapted to establish communication between the pipes51 and 49 and the pipes 50 and 52, respectively.

In connection with the mechanism just described I use a safety-stop orbuffer, which is automatically actuated by the tilting of the platform14. Upon a plate 57, mounted beneath the platform 11 between thechannelbars 4 and 5, is pivoted an angular arm 58, which I have termed asafety-stop or buffer. The arm is adapted to lie in engagement with theplate 57 and is held in this position by a cable 59, which passes over apulley 60, carried by the edge of the plate 57 said cable also passingover a pulley 61, carried by the edge of the platform 11 and isattached, as at 62, to an arm 63, which is pivoted, as at 64, to thebottom of the platform 11. The end of the tilting platform 14 adjacentto the arm 18 is provided with a block 65 upon its one side adapted toengage the loose end of the arm 63 when the tilting platform is in itsnormal position. The loose end of the arm 63 will be held in a loweredposition; but when the titling platform is moved the arm will bereleased, and a spring 66, mounted beneath the safety-stop or bufler 58will elevate the safety-stop or buffer, also the outer end of the arm63.

In order that the operation of my improved coal-tipple may be readilyunderstood, I have illustrated a car 67 upon the tilting platform 14,said car being retained thereon for tilting by a conventional form ofwheel grips 68, which are adapted to support the car when the tiltingplatform is operated, one of the positions assumed by the tiltingplatform during the operation being shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 ofthedrawings. Assuming that the car 67 is full of coal or the like and itis desired to dump the same into the chute and screen 69, generally usedin connection with coal-tipples, the attend- '26 of the fork 21.

ant of the tipple standing upon the platform 8 operates the lever 36.The forward movement of the operating-lever 36 to the position shown indotted lines moves the slide 27 in one direction through the medium ofthe rock-shaft 30. As the slide engages the uppermost tooth 24 of theprong 22 of the fork 21 the fork will be released, and as the greaterpart of the car 67 is past the'pivot-point or fulcrum of the tiltingplatform 14 the weight of the car will cause the platform to tilt; butits movement will be limited by the opposite edge of the opening 28 ofthe slide 27 engaging the uppermost tooth 25 of the prong It will ofcourse be under stood that the end-gate of the car 67 has been opened topermit of the contents thereof descending into the chute and screen 69,and

. the sudden stoppage of the car 67 by the uppermost tooth of the fork21 is adapted to jar the contents of the car and cause a portion of thecontents of the car to be precipie tated into the chute or screen 69. Afurther tilting of the platform 14 is accomplished by throwing the lever36 to its normal position,

' which moves the slide-27 out of engagement their respective screens.

with the uppermost tooth 25 of the fork 21 and permits the tiltingplatform to further tilt until the next succeeding tooth 24 of the fork21 is engaged by the slide 27. The re ciprocating of the slide 27 iscontinued until the lowermost tooth 24 of the fork 21 has been engagedby said slide, the engagement of the tooth 24 placing the tiltingplatform at such an inclination as to discharge its entire contents intothe chute and'screen 69.

The reciprocating slide 27, together with the, fork 21, forms aparticular feature of my invention, insomuch as considerable trouble hasbeen experienced in properly emptying the contents of the cars run upona coal-tipple. Heretofore the cars have been suddenly tilted todischarge their coal or contents upon the screens of the coal-tipple,and by the sudden discharge of the coal it is impossible for the variousgrades of coal to pass through For instance, the fine coal is supposedto pass through the first screen; but when the entire load isprecipitated upon the screen the fine coal is carried along with thelarge coal and prevented from passing through the right screen into itsproper chute or car. By the spasmodic or intermittent movement impartedto the tilting platform 14 and the car 67 by the fork 21 being releasedby the slide 27 I am enabled to discharge the contents of a car slowlyand at such periods of time as will permit of the quantities of coaldischarged from the car being thoroughly screened. The jerky step-bystepstop-and-start movement imparted to the tilting platform carrying thecar is adapted to sufficiently ar the contents thereof to cause everyparticle contained within the car to be discharged, this movement of thetilting platform and the car being accomplished without detriment to thestructure of the coal-tipple.

Simultaneous with the first operation or tilting of the platform 14 andthe car 67 the arm 63 is released by the platform, which permits of thesafety-stop or buffer 58 extending upwardly through the platform 11, andthis safety-stop or buffer is adapted to prevent another car fromstriking the car 67 or the tilting platform, thus preventing accidentswhich otherwise might occur were not the safety-stop or buffer used. Thereturn of the tilting platform after the car 67 has been emptied isadapted to again depress the arm 63 and return the safety-stop or bufferto its normal position, whereby the car 67 can be removed from thetilting platform and another coal-car placed thereon. In order to returnthe tilting platform to its normal position after the contents of thecar 67 have been discharged, I have provided the threeway valve 48, thecylinder 42, the flanged pulley 40, and their appurtenant parts. Theattendant of the coal-tipple operates the lever 54 to move the plug 53of the valve 48, whereby a supply of compressed air will be conveyed tothe top of the cylinder through .the pipes'51, port 55, and pipe 49.

In the accompanying drawings the position of the valve 48, thepiston-head 43, the chain 47, and the cable 45 are shown as if thecylinder 42 has just been charged with. compressed air to return thetilting platform 14 to its normal position. Then the air passes into thecylinder 42, the piston-head 43 is forced downwardly, and as the chain47 is attached to the upper end of the piston-rod 44 the tiltingplatform 14 will be returned to its normal position and retained thereby the uppermost tooth 24 of the fork 21. The beveled edges of the teeth24 and 25 of the fork 21 permit of the fork 21 receding to its normalposition, this movement of the fork of course reciprocating the slide 27and oscillating the lever 36. When the lever 54 is moved to the positionshown in dotted lines of Fig. 2, the supply of air to the cylinder willbe shut off and the port 56 moved to es tablish communication betweenthe exhaustpipe 52 and the pipe 50. The air within the cylinder 42 willthen exhaust through a por tion of the pipe 49, the pipe 50, port 56,and exhaust-pipe 52, and the piston-head 43, together with thepiston-rod 44, will be returned to their normal position by the weight46, mounted upon the end'of the cable 45. The valve is then permitted toremain in the exhaust position until another car has been run upon thetilting platform 14 and its contents discharged in the manner ustdescribed in connection with the car 67.

I do not care to confine myself to the detail construction of myinvention or to the size or proportions of the same, and such changes asare permissible by the appended claims may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a coal-tipple, the combination with standards, a stationaryplatform supported by said standards, a track supported by saidstandards, a platform supported by one side of said standards, of atilting platform mounted at the end of said stationary platform andhaving wheel-grips to support a car, a reciprocating slide mountedbeneath said stationary platform, a depending fork carried by the end ofsaid tilting platform and extending through said slide,staggeredlyarranged teeth carried by said fork and engaged by saidslide, a cylinder-supported by said standards and having a pistonoperating therein, a chain connecting said piston and the end of saidtilting platform, means to reciprocate said slide, means to normallymaintain the piston within said cylinder in an elevated position, meansto lower said piston, and means carried by said platform to control thelast-named means, substantially as described.

2. In a coal-tipple, the combination with standards, a track supportedby said standards, a platform supported by said standards, of a tiltingplatform supported by said standards, a reciprocating slide mountedadjacent to said track, a depending fork carried by one end of saidtilting platform and extending through said slide, staggeredlyarrangedteeth carried by said fork and adapted to be engaged by said slide, aspringactuated safety-stop mounted in said track and held in a fixedposition by said tilting platform, and released by the tilting of saidplatform, means to reciprocate said slide, and means to return saidplatform to its normal position, when tilted, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a coal-tipple, the combination with standards, of a track andplatform supported by said standards, a tilting platform mounted betweensaid standards, a cylinder mounted between said standards and having apiston operating therein, a chain connecting the one end of saidplatform and said piston, a spring-held safety stop mounted adjacent tosaid track, means to impart a spasmodic tilting movement to saidplatform, means actuated by the movement of said platform to releasesaid safety-stop, means to normally hold said piston in an elevatedposition, means to lower said piston to return said tilting platform toits normal position, and

means mounted adjacent to said platform to seated control the last-namedmeans, substantially as described.

4. In a coal-tipple, the combination with standards, of a tiltingplatform mounted between saidstandards, a spring-held safetystop mountedadjacent to said platform, means to impart a spasmodic tilting movementto said platform, means actuated by the first movement of said platformto release said stop, means to simultaneously return said platform andsaid stop to their normal position,substantially as described.

5. In a coal-tipple, the combination with standards, of a tiltingplatform mounted between said standards, a movable safety-stop mountedadjacent to said platform, means to impart a spasmodic tilting movementtosaid platform,- means actuated by the movement of said platform tomove said safety-stop, means to return said tilting platform to itsnormal position, and means to control the last-named means,substantially as described.

6. In a coal-tipple, the combination with a tilting platform adapted tosupport a car, of a depending toothed fork carried by the one end ofsaid platform, a reciprocating slide adapted to engage first one toothand then another tooth of said fork to impart a jerky movement to saidtilting platform, and means to reciprocate said slide, substantially asdescribed.

7. In acoal-tipple, the combination of a tilting platform, of means toimpart a spasmodic and jerky tilting movement to said platform, andmeans to return said platform to its normal position, substantially asdescribed.

8. In a coal-tipple, the combination of a tilting platform, a dependingtoothed fork carried by said platform, and meansengaging said fork tolimit the movement of said platform, substantially as described.

9. In a coal-tipple, the combination of a tilting platform, a toothedfork carried by said platform, and means to impart anintermittentmovement to said platform through the movement of said fork,substantially as described.

10. The combination with a tilting platform, of means to impart anintermittent movement to said platform, said means embodying a toothedfork and a reciprocating plate, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

JAMES S. PATES.

Witnesses:

NETTIE F; DUNN, FRED H. FOSTER.

